Safety device for automatic weapons



p 11, 1956 J- o. PERSSON EI'AL 2362,26?

SAFETY DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC WEAPONS Filed Feb. 8, I952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1[NVEf/VTORS JkA/M: 01. 0F PsRsso/v K/vur Romy/v0 PHLMIiV/Jr Br A 1. M0

p 1956 J. o. PERSSON ETAL 2,?62,267

SAFETY DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC WEAPONS Filed Feb. 8, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2I INVENTO/PS Tn/v: 040: PERS'SOIV M/ur Pour/v0 Pnu/awrr k Br Hel SAFETYDEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC WEAPONS Janne Olof Persson, Karlskoga, and KnutRoland Palmqvist, Bofors, Sweden, assignors to Aktiebolaget Bofors,Bofors, Sweden Application February 8, 1952, Serial No. 270,676 Claimspriority, application Sweden March 5, 1951 '8 Claims. (Cl. 89-135)striker bolt device and also moves backwardly the said bolt device.

Automatic guns of the aforementioned type are more fully described inUnited States Patent 2,609,731.

Practical tests with guns of the general type, herein referred to, haveshown that the accidental discharges of shots may occur when the firingis interrupted and the gun is subjected to severe jolts. Such jolts mayoccur for instance when the guns are mounted in an aircraft and the sameexperiences a rough landing. Obviously, an accidental discharge of shotspresents a grave danger to the ground personnel.

Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is to providesafety means preventing accidental discharges of the guns due to jolts.

Another object of the invention is to provide safety means which block apivotal movement of the aforesaid control member which wouldaccidentally actuate the firing mechanism of the gun.

Another more specific object of the invention is to provide safety meansblocking the pivotal control member in a position in which thecomponents of the firing mechanism associated therewith prevent thestriker of the bolt device from connecting with a round of ammunitionthat may be rammed in when the striker bolt is in its run-out position.

Another object of the invention is to provide convenient and reliablemeans for rendering the safety means operative for the purpose aforesaidand for releasing the control member for its pivotal movement inresponse to a recoil of the gun barrel.

As will appear from the previous explanations, a detailed description ofthe gun proper and of the firing mechanism thereof are not essential forthe understanding of the invention. It suffices to say that the positionand movement of the pivotal control member control the firing mechanismand that retaining of the control member in a predetermined positionwill prevent the discharge of shots.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention willbe pointed out hereinafter and set forth in the appended claims formingpart of the application.

In the accompanying drawing a now preferred embodiment of the inventionis shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a fragmentary sectional-view of a gun the fir nited StatesPatent ing mechanism of which is equipped with safety means according tothe invention, the pivotal control member being released, and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1, the pivotal control memberbeing retained by the safety means in its safety position.

Referring now to the figures in detail, the barrel of the gun isdesignated by 1 and a bolt device 19 is disposed juxtaposed to thebarrel in alignment herewith. The bolt device comprises a striker 35formed with a striker point 15 and a striker plate 37. The striker plateis actuated in a manner not described here in detail and not essentialfor the understanding of the invention by means of a pivotal controlmember 8 shown in form of a forked bell crank the arms 8' of which areoperatively coupled with the striker plate. Control member 8 is pivotalabout a pivot 9 and its short arm coacts with an impact head 53 when thebarrel recoils thereby eifecting a pivotal or rocking movement ofcontrol member 8 which actuates the firing mechanism.

The component parts hereinbefore referred to are fully described inaforesaid Patent 2,609,731 and do not constitute part of the inventionwhich will now be described in detail.

The safety means according to the invention comprise .a tubular member61 which is mounted axially-slidable in a corresponding bore or recessprovided in the body of impact head 53 or an extension thereof. Thistubular member may have any desired cross-section and is shown as ahollow cylinder closed on one end by an end wall 62. The outside wall oftube member 61 forms a cam or abutment surface which in the memberposition of Fig. 1 is concealed within the bore and in the memberposition of Fig. 2 is in engagement with the short arm of control member3 thereby retaining the same in a predetermined safety position. Aloaded spring 63 abutting with one end against wall 62 and with theother end against the bottom 64 of the bore in the impact head 53 biasestube member 61 toward the position of Fig. 2 which, as mentioned, is thesafety position as is clearly shown on the figure.

For the purpose of retaining tube member 61 in the release position ofFig. 1 until it is desired to set the firing mechanism on safety, anelectromagnetic control device is provided. This device comprises amagnet body 65 disposed below the recoil jacket 4 of the gun, anexciting coil 67, a stationary core 66 and an axially movable armature68. The coil can be connected with a suitable source of current 'bymeans of a plug 77. A two-arm lever 71 is pivotally supported by meansof a pivot 74 on magnet body 65. One end of lever 71 is pivoted toarmature 68 by a pivot 72 and the other arm is pivoted by a pivot 75 toa bar 76. This bar is slidable transversely to the axis of the gun in aguiding slot formed between magnet body 65 and recoil jacket 4. The freeend of bar 76 which is preferably enlarged in a hammerlike fashion,abuts against the outer face of end Wall 62 when the bar is in theposition of Fig. 1, thereby retaining tube member 61 in its releaseposition. A loaded spring fitted in a recess 69 formed between theadjacent faces of core 66 and armature 68 biases the armature into theposition of Fig. 1 in which the armature is spaced from the core and bar76 is in its lower or retaining position. A shoulder 65 formed at therim of magnet body 65 serves to limit the outward movement of tubemember 61 by the action of spring 63, as can best be seen on Fig. 2.

The operation of the safety means, as hereinbefore described, is asfollows:

Let it be assumed that all the component parts are in the position shownon Fig. 1. Then, tube member 61 is retained in its retracted position bybar 76, abutment surface 60 is disengaged from the short arm of control3 member 8 and the striker plate 37 is in its forward position so thatthe striker point can connect with a round of ammunition that may berammed. If it now be desired to set the firing mechanism on safety, anenergizing circuit for coil 67 is closed. As a result, armature .68 isattracted against the action of spring 70 thereby lifting bar 76 out ofengagement with the end Wall 62. Tube member 61 is now moved by theaction of spring 63 into the position of Fig. 2. The energizing circuitof the electromagnet can then be interrupted since bar 76 cannot returninto its lower position by reason of the lower end of bar 76 restingagainst the outer wall of tube member 61. The striker plate 37 and withit the striker point 15 are now held at such a distance from the firingposition that the striker point cannot connect with a round ofammunition that may be rammed.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to acertain now preferred example and embodiment of the invention it will beunderstood by those skilled in the art after understanding theinvention, that various changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it isintended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in theappended claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An automatic recoilin g firearm having a firing mechanism including astriker and a recoiling system comprising a member pivotal by therecoiling movement of the recoiling system for actuating the striker tomove into the position for striking a projectile rammed into thefirearm, in

combination with safety means coacting with said pivotal member andcomprising a safety member movable between a safety position and arelease position, and control means operable independently of the recoilmovement of the recoiling system and coacting with said safety memberfor causing movement of the same from its release position into itssafety position upon actuation of the control means, the said movablesafety member and the said pivotal member being disposed in a spatialrelationship in which the safety member in its safety position engagesthe pivotal member so as to block the said pivotal actuating movement ofthe latter and in which the safety member in its release position isdisengaged from the pivotal member thereby freeing the latter for apivotal movement.

2. -An automatic recoiling firearm as defined in claim 1, wherein thesafety member is in form of a tubular member axially slidable betweenthe said safety position and the said release position, and wherein aspring is disposed within the tubular member abutting with one endagainst the said member and with the other end against a portion of thefirearm stationary relative to the tubular member for biasing the lattertoward its safety position.

3. An automatic recoiling firearm as defined in claim 1, wherein thesaid movable safety member is in form of an elongated member axiallyslidable between the said safety position and the said release position,the said elongated member being formed with an outer abutment surfaceengaging the said pivotal member so as to block a pivotal movement ofthe latter.

4. An automatic recoiling firearm as defined in claim 3, in combinationwith loaded spring means coacting with the elongated member for biasingthe same from its release position into its safety position.

5. An automatic recoiling firearm as defined in claim 4 wherein the saidcontrol means comprise a movable locking member movable between aposition engaging the safety member for axially retaining the latter inits release position against the action of the spring means and aposition disengaged from the safety member for releasing the latter formovement into its release position. by the action of the spring means,and actuating means coupled with the locking member for moving the samefrom its engaged position into its disengaged position.

6. An automatic recoiling firearm as defined in claim 5, wherein thesaid actuating means comprise electromagnetic means including astationarycore and a movable armature, and linkage means operativelycoupling the armature with the locking member and actuated by theposition of the armature so as to hold the locking member in itsdisengaged position upon energization of the electromagnetic means.

7. An automatic recoiling firearm as defined in claim 6, wherein loadedspring means bias the armature into a position in which the linkagemeans coupled therewith hold the locking member in its engaged position.

8. An automatic recoiling firearm as defined in claim 7, wherein thesaid locking member in its disengaged position is seated upon the wallof said tubular safety member in the safety position of the latter forholding the locking member in its disengaged position independently ofdeenergization of the electromagnetic means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,331,942 Turnbull Oct. 18, 1943 2,600,007 Lippert June 10, 19522,609,731 Sahlin et al. Sept. 9, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 326,015 GermanySept. 22, 1920 362,866 Great Britain May 31, 1932 823,229 France Oct.11, 1937 861,160 France Oct. 22, 1940

